Gage for positioning igniter electrode in wall flame burners



July 9,

D. E. EISELE GAGE FOR POSITIONING IGNITER ELECTRODE IN WALL FLAME BURNERS Filed April '18, 1955 Dad/$17. L'fzlseie 5 United States PatentO GAGE FOR POSITIONING IGNITER ELECTRODE IN WALL FLANIE BURNERS Dudley E. Eisele, Appleton, Wis.

Application April 18, 1955, Serial No. 501,979

8 Claims. (Cl. 33-180) This invention relates to a gage for positioning igniter electrodes in the flame wall type of oil burners.

Flame wall oil burners generally employ a spinner type fan and oil distributor which throwsvoil in a disk-like sheet out to a flame rim. The flame rim is a channel-like ring of stainless steel, the inner rim of which is shorter than the outer rim. The oil hits the outer rim below the top edge thereof and above the tip of the igniter electrode. The electrode tip must be rather precisely positioned to secure the proper spark to the outer rim. The present invention relates to a gage for facilitating rapid and precise positioning of the electrode tip. Since the electrode tip is accessible only from a position in which it is impossible to make the adjustment of the tip, the general practice has been hit or miss with the serviceman alternately inspecting the electrode position and then attempting to properly locate the tip without being able to see the electrode. With the present gage the tip is swung into position on the gage and then can be fixed in position with the gage still spacing the electrode. The gage is designed for easy removal from the flame wall after the electrode has been fixed in place.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a gage for facilitating positioning an igniter electrode in a flame wall type of burner.

Other objects and advantages will be pointed out in, or be apparent from, the specification and claims, as will obvious modifications of the single embodiment shown in the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the gage mounted on a fragment of the flame ring structure;

Fig. 2 is a top view of the gage;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the gage; and

Fig. 4 is a side elevation which illustrates the manner in which the gage positions the tip of the electrode.

Referring to the drawings now in detail, the numeral denotes a portion of the flame ring employed in wallflame burners. The flame ring is made up of a plurality of segments, generally stainless steel, which interlock to form a ring, either circular or rectangular depending upon the hearth shape, positioned adjacent the wall of the furnace. Each flame ring segment has a rear wall or face 12 and a front wall or air deflecting face 14 interconnected by the bottom portion 16. Thus, each segment has a generally channel-like section with the inner face being shorter than the outer face. The oil spray is adjusted so that it strikes the rear face 12 between its upper edge and a line determined by the intersection of an imaginary plane touching the top of the air deflecting face 14 and parallel to the bottom of the segment. The various manufacturers specifications call for different positions of the electrode tip, but, for example, in the Timken furnace the electrode tip is specified as being positioned 7 of an inch from the rear wall and approximately of an inch above the top edge of the air deflecting face. When so positioned the electrode will operate at optimum efliciency.

The present gage is designed to facilitate positioning of the flame ring segment.

Patented July 9, 1957 the tip of the electrode. The gage 18 has a vertical or back panel 20 including rearwardly struck arms 22, 22 provided with downwardly opening notches 24 struck therein to engage the upper edge 26 of the rear wall 12 At the lower portion of theback panel 20 facing lugs 28, 28 are rearwardly struck to abut the inside surface of the outer wall 12 of the segment. Thus, the notches 24 and lugs 28 serve to position the back panel of the gage parallel to the wall 12. The front portion of the gage is generally in the form of an angle having an upstanding portion 30 which is spot welded to the rear panel 20 to position the top surface of the horizontal member 32 the proper distance above the upper edge of the air deflecting face 14. In the showing of Fig. 4 it will be noted that the horizontal portion 32 contacts the upper edge of face 14. This is true since in the illustrated form the desired spacing is 5 of an inch. However, if this spacing were to he /s of of an inch, for example, it will be appreciated that the horizontal portion 32 would not rest on the top edge of face 14. The inside corner at the vertical portion 30 and the horizontal portion 32 determines the exact location for the tip of the electrode 34.

'may be removed easily by raising the right-hand portion of the gage and turning the gage towards the center of the flame wall to more or less swing the contact corner away from the tip of the electrode. In this connection, it will be obvious that the point X is positioned to the left of the side of the rear panel 20. The beveled edge 36 in particular allows considerable freedom in this downward and turning movement of the gage in order to clear it of the tip of the electrode.

In use the electrode 34 is loosened in its mounting so that it is free 'to swing and may be adjusted vertically. The tip of the electrode is then swung into the corner between the vertical portion 30 and the horizontal portion 32 of the gage. With the tip so positioned the mounting means for the electrode are then tightened to retain the electrode in the precise position. The gage may then be removed quite easily either by the method mentioned above or merely by sliding the gage along the flame wall segment until clear of the electrode.

It will be appreciated that the various dimensions, and particularly those-lettered A and B on Fig. 4, may be varied in accordance with the manufacturers specification for the particular flame wall unit being serviced. It is preferred to make each gage serve for but one set of dimensions since this results in a gage which has no possibility of error in use.

The entire gage could, if desired, be made from a single piece of metal or other material and the angle between the horizontal and vertical portions need not necessarily be Similarly, the horizontal portion does not have to overlie face 14 of the flame ring but it is thought to be more convenient in its present form.

Although but one embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A gage for positioning an electrode tip with respect to a channel-like flame ring in a wall flame burner, comprising a generally angular member having a generally vertical portion and a generally horizontal pora vertical wall of thering, and a lug projecting rearwardly from the lower portion of the vertical portion to abut said wall, said horizontal portion'projecting forwardly from the vertical portion and the intersecting corner at the vertical and horizontal portions being the'reference line for the electrode tip when the gage is mounted on said wall. 7

2. A gage according to claim 1 in which said lug projecting rearwardly a distance which when added to the thickness of said wall is equal to thedistance between said vertical portion and the rearward portion of said notches whereby the vertical portion is generally parallel to the wall.

3. A gage according to claim 1 in which the length of the corner exceeds the spacing of said arms.

4. A gage for positioning an electrode tip with respect to a channel-like flame ring in a wall flame burner, comprising a member having a generally planar vertical portion having a generally planar horizontal portion projecting forwardly therefrom at the lower edge thereof to define a corner serving as a reference line for the electrode tip, and means at the upper edge of the vertical portion projecting re'arwardly to engage the upper edge of a wall of the flame ring, said vertical portion including means for spacing the corner a predetermined distance from the wall engaged by the first means, said engaging means positively referencing the corner with respect to said upper edge.

5. A gage according to claim 4 in which the engaging means comprises a pair of spaced arms each having a downwardly opening notch therein to receive said upper edge.

6. A gage according to claim 5 in which each notch is generally in the form of an inverted V to positively position the vertical portion with respect to the upper edge of the wall.

7. A gage according to claim 6 in which the spacing means includes a lug projecting rearwardly from the lower part of the vertical portion.

8. A gage according to claim 8 in which the length of said corner exceeds the distance separating said arms.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNiTED STATES PATENTS 1,278,570 Beck Sept. 10, 1918 1,839,596 Rouse Jan. 5, 1932 2,498,823 Peterson Feb. 28, 1950 2,656,615 Rowell Oct. 27, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 489,020 Canada Dec. 23, 1952 

